Gene T. Chavez

Mexican American Baseball in Kansas City highlights the standout teams and players in the greater Kansas City area and other communities in the Sunflower State. Following labor opportunities, Mexican immigrants proliferated in the region in the first decade of the 20th century. Eventually, they and their offspring settled in countless communities, including Kansas City, Topeka, Newton, Chanute, Emporia, Wellington, Wichita, Dodge City, and Garden City, and had extended family networks in Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa. Baseball and softball in their own unique ways confronted discrimination and promoted the spirit for social equality. These remarkable photographs and wonderful memorabilia provide ample evidence and insight about those who loved the game.